Los Angeles Fire Department Gets New Helmets for Fighting Brush Fires

The new helmets are two pounds lighter and feature a wider brim

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The new Los Angeles Fire Department wildfire helmets are designed to be lighter and more comfortable than the department's normal structural fire helmets.

The Los Angeles Fire Department announced a donation Thursday that put new wildfire specific helmets in the hands, and on the heads, of the department’s 3,000 firefighters as the city approaches the height of wildfire season.

The Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, a private support organization, helped to raise the $80,000 needed to purchase the 3,200 helmets. One of the biggest sources of funds was from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, which contributed $50,000 to the cause.

Karen Wagener, the president of the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, said the donation was about helping those on the frontlines of protecting Los Angeles residents.

"They take care of us," she said at a press conference. "We want to take care of them."

Southern California Wildfires

LAFD Deputy Chief Joseph Castro said the new helmets are specifically designed to be used in wildfire situations so they are lighter and more comfortable than standard fire helmets.

"The extra two pounds of weight that is left off the head allows us to be more effective and safe in all conditions," Castro said at a press conference. "Especially in the long hours, the tough hours, required of wildland firefights."

With wildfires racking the Southern California in recent months, officials also took the opportunity to urge residents to clear the brush around their homes and prepare in advance for emergency evacuation.